- Shohei Ohtani said his outing felt off despite a decent start, pointing to a movement/mechanical issue rather than physical condition, and wasn’t satisfied with how he gave up runs.
- He emphasized flexibility with team decisions (pitching vs. hitting), prioritizing team needs, shared workload (like DH opportunities), and staying healthy for October.
- He explained it’s easy to maintain good form but hard to fix bad form, especially with limited time and workload as a two-way player—making gradual, daily adjustments key.
The blue responses are our direct translation of Shohei's answers and the
Analyst Notes: |
are our commentary on the interpretation of Shohei's responses. Finally, we finish with a grade of the interpreter.
[Interpreter Grade]: ? See Below |
Kirsten: Shohei, when you look at this outing, the pitch count getting up a little bit early, did you find that tonight was a bit of a grind for you personally?
Will: 球数は高めの方ですけども、今回の登板はちょっと難しくなると登板になるのかなと思いましたかね？
[Translation]: Your pitch count got high, was this mound you thought would be more difficult?
Shohei: 最初の4インニングは良いペースでしたけど感覚的にはそこまでいいなとは思ってはなかったので点のとられた方もよくなかったですしその中でも抑えたのは良かったですけど最小失点で。全体的に感想としてはあまり良くなかったのかなと思っています。
[Translation]: The first four innings were a good pace, but my feel was not great. The runs I gave up were not good, but I did hold them down to minimal runs. Overall my opinion is that it was not very good.
Will: Pitch count was under control for the first four innings. Stuff-wise, it wasn't that great. You know, I did kind of, you know, do the minimal expectation. I think I wasn't quite happy with how the runs scored too. So overall it wasn't that of a great outing.
Kirsten: What do you think just kind of led to this stuff not being where you wanted to be tonight?
Will: いい感覚じゃなかった要因としては何でしたかな？
[Translation]: What was the reason you did not have a good feel?
Shohei: ブルーペンからちょっとよくはなかったので体調的にはそんなに悪くはなかったですけど動作的な問題だとは思っています。
[Translation]: From the bullpen, it did not feel great. Physically, I do not feel bad. It is a movement issue I think.
Will: Yeah, from the bullpen, I didn't exactly feel like my stuff was in line with where I want it to be. I feel great physically, but I think it's something to do with my mechanics.
Analyst Notes: Shohei specifically said a movement issue but I guess mechanics is sufficient. |
Fabian Reporter: What does pitching but not hitting do to sort of help preserve you for the course of the season? Is that something that you feel like it's going to help you sort of be able to last through the entire year?
Will: この登板の日に二刀流しないと言うこのシーズンを通してスタミナ温存とかプラスの効果とかっていうのは得れる感じですかね？
[Translation]: Not doing two way on the days you pitch will be more beneficial for maintaining your stamina for the season do you feel?
Shohei: どうですかね。個人的にはどっちでもどっちでもいいというか、行けと言われた方で行きたいなと思ってますし、チームのトータルで見たときに長いシーズンなのでDHでもちろん試してみたい選手もいるかもしれないですし。ま、自分的にもシーズンを健康な状態で保っていく上でそう言う登板があるってもしかしたらプラスかもわからないので。そこは完全にチームに任せていますし。ま、行けと言われた出方でしっかり活躍できる準備をしたいなと思っています。
[Translation]: I’m not sure. Personally, either way is fine. If I am told to go, I definitely want to go I think, but thinking in totality of the team and the long season, I think there are other players who would like to DH. For me to finish the season in good health could be a plus I do not know. I am completely deferring to the team in those decisions. If I am told to go, I will definitely prepare to the best of my abilities.
Will: Yeah, I'm going to prepare the best that I can with whatever the team expects is the best for me and for the team, you know, we're only going to find out you know at the totality if it's a plus or minus, I think for players who want to do two-way and if they want a DH, I think they should get the option to do DH, but at the same time it's hard to tell now. We'll see how it goes at the end of the season.
Analyst Notes: Major errors. Shohei was not talking in general about two way players (he is also the only one), he was talking about giving other guys the opportunity at DH on the team. Shohei will usually take the responsible and defer to the team in these decisions and always will say he prepares himself to be ready for whatever the team needs. |
Reporter: …the last time you did this you talked about the advantage when you are not hitting to be able to talk through the last inning and the next inning in the dugout just after that fifth inning did that help you get back on track before you went back onto the field for the 6th?
Will: 二刀流しないとコミュニケーションを取れるということを前おっしゃったことなんですけども5回, 失点した後、そういうプラス要素が働いたんですかねと？
[Translation]: When you don’t two way, you said before you can communicate between innings well, after the 5th when you gave up the run, did that help you?
Shohei: そこがピッチングに集中してたて出来た話ではなくて、単純に5回が良くなかったて言う反省点じゃないかなと思うので、そこから引きずらいに6回をしっかり投げれたというのはおっしゃる通り良かった点ではあると思いますけど単純に5回の入りが良くなかったなとことだと思います。
[Translation]: That is not a story about focusing more on pitching, simply the fifth inning was not good and requires reflection I think. Not taking that into the 6th inning was, I agree with you, a good thing, but simply how I started the 5th inning was not good I think.
Will: Yeah, I do agree with your assessment in terms of you know, just being able to have time to discuss and have a clean inning but at the same time, that fifth inning today, I just didn't really enter into the fifth executing so.
Reporter: How easy has it been for you to keep the bigger picture when they've approached you with days like today where you are pitching and not hitting?
Will: その大きな目標に向けて二刀流しないっていうのは?
[Translation]: For the big goal, not doing the two way…
Shohei: どうなんですかね。先言ってましたけどどちらでも僕的には大丈夫ですし、チーム全体の疲労も考慮しながら、全員でやっぱり怪我なく、なるべく10月に向けてフルな状態で入れるというのが理想だと思うので、そのための管理っていうのをトレーナー陣も含めてみんなで話し合ってやると思うのでその一環としてはもちろんアリだとは思いますし、選手としては一試合一試合やれることを集中してやりたいなと思っています。
[Translation]: I’m not sure. Like I said before, either or is fine with me. Thinking about everybody’s safety and recovery, staying healthy and in one’s best condition for October is the most ideal. In that management, with the trainers we are talking about daily and I am in agreement with. As a player, I want to focus on each game one at a time doing the best that I can I think.
Will: I’m always going to respect the decision regardless of whether I'm pitching or doing both. But I also really understand the importance of, you know getting into the end of the season with
everybody healthy, so, you know, talking with the training staff, talking with the team, and I think it's really important that the team makes a decision on what's good for the team.
Analyst Notes: Shohei said getting ready for October because Dodgers always play into October. Downside of having a clubhouse person being a translator, not committed enough. |
Reporter: You have been swinging the bat well lately what has helped to get you back on track?
Will: パッティングが良くなっている感じですけども何か理由としては?
[Translation]: Your batting is getting better, do you have a reason why?
Shohei: 毎年の感じのペースなのかな, 前も言いましたけどそう言う物なのかなと思いますし、もちろん感覚的には1日でも早く良くなりたいなとは思ってますけど、まあシーズンやるならそういう期間ていうか必ずくると思いますし傾向的にそれは早い時期に来ているのは単純にそういう選手なのかなと思ってやらなければいけないところもあると思うので、早く改善はしたいなと思ってますけど地道に1日1日改善したいなと思っています。
[Translation]: It is kind of similar to most years I feel, like I said before it is kind of like this. Definitely, feel wise I would like to get better as soon as possible, but during a season, these things obviously happen. Simply, I think I am a player where this happens earlier in the season and I have to be aware of that. I would like to improve it and am working on improving it each day.
Will: I do feel like over the course of my career it's just a reality that I don't exactly, I'm not hitting at the best of my ability this part of the year, but also at the same time as a player I do want to be better and get to the position where I'm feeling really good. So, you know, it's a really balancing act of the two.
Deputy Dorado: Last one, guys.
Reporter Jack: Generally, is it more difficult to manage your swing when you are at a full time pitching role doing all the things between starts recovery wise?
Will: まあ二刀流の中でバッテイングの軌道だとか、スイングのメカニックスだとか維持するが難しいですか？
[Translation]: As a two way player is maintaining batting or swing mechanics difficult?
Shohei: いい状態を維持するなそこまで難しいことではないのかなと思いますけど悪い状態からいい状態に持っていくまでにやらなければいけないことがある中で、まずは第一は健康を保つということが一番だと思うので。ピッチングが入ってくる中でトータルの1日の運動量を考えたときにそこまで長く、一日一日とれるわけでは無いですし。やれることの中の少ない中で悪い状態からいいところに改善していくのが一番難しいところなのかなと思っています。
[Translation]: Being in a good condition is not difficult to maintain, but coming from a bad condition to a good condition, there are things you have to do. First off staying health is number one I think. Bringing pitching into the mix, I have to consider the effort and length of day. Considering the limited time, bringing from a bad condition to a good condition is the most difficult part.
Will: it is easier to maintain something good when things are going well. But when things are not going well. It's not easy in a sense that I do have to kind of make sure that I'm healthy and not overdoing in terms of repetition. So while I'm working on certain things, it's also a balancing act of making sure that I'm not overdoing physically and making sure that I'm healthy.
Analyst Notes: The reporter’s question was not very good. Shohei mentions nothing about repetition in his answer or balancing. It was a thoughtful, rote answer about how it is easier to stay good and harder to get from bad to good. |
[Interpreter Grade]: F, there are definitely better translators in the world and Shohei deserves better. The best player in the world should have the best translator. |
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